Advent Day #7 He hath shewed strength with his arm;he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.He hath put down the mighty from their seats,and exalted them of low degree.He hath filled the hungry with good things;and the rich he hath sent empty away. Luke 1:51-53 Luke’s well-researched account of the …
The LORD—κύριος
Advent Day #6 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 The name of the Lord is used fifteen times in just the first chapter of Luke. It is the Greek translation of the transliterated word YHWH, …
The God of the Impossible
Advent Day #5 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:36-37 Mary's conversation with the Angel Gabriel would have recalled the account of another barren woman …
The Name of Jesus
Advent Day #4 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 Jesus was a relatively common name in first-century Judea. Jesus was the Greek version of the Old Testament name, Jehoshua, or Joshua, as it was shortened …
The Virgin’s Son
Advent Day #3 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23 Isaiah, a prophet of God hundreds of years before the first Christmas, promised an ungodly king of Judah that a virgin would …
Jesus (As Was Supposed) the Son of Joseph
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com Advent Day 2 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1:18 Our expectations for Christmas are high. We plan long in …
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The Long-Awaited One
Photo by Doralin Tunas on Pexels.com Advent Day 1 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Matthew 1:17 The anticipation of the long-awaited Messiah had ebbed …
My Grandmother’s Dishes
My Grandmother's Dishes My grandmother’s dishes still adorn the holiday table, though her presence has been missing for over a decade. I again felt the familiar tug of longing to hear her voice just one more time as I filled her rose-painted bowls. Holiday gatherings are bittersweet. Gatherings with cousins, aunts, and uncles on my …
So the Next Generation May Know
There are so many ways to study God’s Word. We live in a blessed generation with a variety of options at our fingertips. There are apps for phones, free computer programs, and old-fashioned pen-and-paper methods. A quick computer search offers hundreds of companies that create Bible studies and journals. If you have not found a …
Hope’s Song in Suffering Seasons
Here in northeast Ohio, fiery autumn leaves litter the ground, as if the earth exhaled a heavy sigh and released them from their seasonal labor. Soon, every deciduous tree will lift empty limbs toward the sky, awaiting the icy, cold shroud of winter. For months, the darkness of winter will fall early, and most …
His Song in the Night 